Double Life
by that belle
Summary: A freak accident puts Kate into a coma. Nothing is what it seems when she finally wakes up... ..Tony & Kate.. ..Ari & Kate..
1. Who is she?

Double Life  
By that belle

A freak accident puts Kate into a coma. Nothing is what it seems when she finally wakes up... ..Tony & Kate.. ..Ari & Kate..

* * *

_Ding._ The elevator doors opened, and Kate stepped out. She was dressed in a light pink shirt and a white skirt, and had a damp towel around her neck. Her hair was wet and brushed back as she wore it everyday, and her face was slightly red. As she approached her desk, her co-worker, Tony, came up to her, grinning his Cheshire cat grin at her.

She took one look at him, and rolled her eyes. She hung the towel over the barrier next to her desk, and switched on her computer. "What is it, DiNozzo?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"You look like you've had a good workout, Kate." He grinned, ruffling her wet hair. He pulled his hand away as she tried to swat it away. "Feisty this morning, are we?"

Kate rolled her eyes. She was about to tell him to mind his own business, when another idea came to her. "Actually, Tony," She said, smiling warmly at him, "I _have_ had a good workout this morning." Tony's eyebrow rose. He was clearly interested in her little 'story'. "Yes, I didn't know that working out at the gym here could be so…" She noticed Tony's mouth slowly opening as she pretended to look for the right word to describe it. "… _satisfying_."

"I-is that right?" Tony stammered, watching Kate as she sat in her seat, and crossed one of her legs over the other. _'Damn, she had to be wearing a skirt today.'_ Tony thought to himself.

"Is what right, DiNozzo?" Gibbs came in, holding a coffee in his hand. He looked at his two agents warily. "Well?" He asked when neither of them had moved. Tony was still gaping at Kate, and Kate was still seated at her desk, looking at Tony with a sly smile on her face.

Suddenly, the moment seemed to end, and Kate looked up at Gibbs. "Morning, Gibbs." She said, returning to her computer. She logged in and looked at her partner over the top of her screen.

"Y-you were kidding?" Tony spluttered, sitting down at his own computer. "Why would you do something like that?"

Kate shrugged a shoulder. "I'm sick of having the same conversation with you, Tony." She said, continuing as though she didn't know Gibbs was in the room. "Every morning for the past four months, I have come in here to work to be greeted by some sexually charged remark by you."

"C'mon, Kate, be reasonable." Tony said, scratching his head.

"I am being reasonable." She retorted. "It's the truth."

"Don't you two have something more important to do?" Gibbs asked from his desk. He was tired of coming into work every morning to see the two bickering. He sometimes wondered if hiring Kate had been such a good idea.

His two agents looked at each other, and then at him. "Not really." They replied simultaneously. When he looked like he was about to fire the two on the spot, Kate quickly added, "What Tony and I meant to say, Gibbs, is that there are no cases right now."

"Then work on a cold case!" Gibbs ordered, taking a sip of his coffee, and swearing when the hot drink burned his tongue.

Kate and Tony looked at each other again and, deciding they didn't want to get into Gibbs' bad books that day, decided to get on with their jobs.

* * *

A call had come in about 30 minutes before they were due to head home that evening. A petty officer had been at home when an intruder had broken into her home. She had managed to restrain him, but was in shock.

"Kate, Tony, grab your gear." Gibbs announced, hanging up his phone. The two agents looked over at him in disbelief. "Now!" He said, when they hadn't moved. "A petty officer restrained a man who broke into her house."

"So why do we have to go?" Tony pouted as he grabbed his badge and gun. "She's alive, isn't she?"

"You're only upset because you had a date tonight." Kate snapped from her desk.

"You're only upset because it isn't you." Tony teased, watching Kate as she glared at him from her desk.

"I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole, DiNozzo." She snapped, getting up and following Gibbs to the elevator. Tony rushed up behind then and the three stepped into the elevator.

"You two have been acting like children today." Gibbs commented as the elevator went down. "You might want to try working on that, otherwise I'll have to replace you."

Tony and Kate looked at him, incredulous. "You mean _fire_ us?" Tony exclaimed.

"That's exactly what I mean, DiNozzo." The elevator stopped, and the three stepped out. They went to the petty officer's house in silence, although Tony and Kate spent the entire journey glaring at each other while Gibbs drove.

Once they arrived, Gibbs went up to the door and tried to open it. It was locked. He turned to Kate. "Go around the back and try the door." He ordered, and she went off. Gibbs then tried knocking on the door.

Moments later, a red haired woman came to the door, and looked through the glass at them. "Yes?" She asked, wringing her hands together.

Gibbs held up his badge. "NCIS." He said. "Are you Petty Officer Moore?"

"I am." The woman replied. "Please, come in. He's in the kitchen." She unlocked the door, and opened it. Tony and Gibbs went inside, and looked around. She led them into the kitchen, where Kate was standing. Chained to the refrigerator door was a man, who was dressed in dark clothes. His hair was a dark brown, and his eyes were glaring at Gibbs.

"You chained him to your _fridge_?" Tony asked, slightly bewildered.

"Yes," Petty Officer Moore replied. "It was the best I could do, considering the situation I was in."

"Well, you were very brave." Kate said.

Suddenly, the man turned to her, as though he had just noticed she was there. His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. "_Raya?_ Raya Zavad?" He continued talking to her, but not in English. She just stood there, looking as confused as everyone else in the room felt.

"C'mon, Kate, let's take him back to interrogation." Gibbs said finally, breaking the silence which had followed the intruders' speech.

Kate approached him, and unchained him from the fridge. She grabbed his arms and pulled them behind him, causing him to cry out. She followed Gibbs out of the Petty Officer's house, and Tony followed her.

Things went horribly wrong when they were walking down the steps towards the car. The intruder, who seemed to be subdued, suddenly became violent. He pulled himself from Kate's grasp, and started screaming "Raya!" at her. When Kate reached for her gun, his hands came from nowhere and fixed themselves around her neck.

"Kate!" Tony exclaimed from behind her. Gibbs turned and reached for his gun, but that only seemed to aggravate the man more.

The gun dropped from Kate's hand. The shock at being attacked so suddenly had delayed her reaction time, and she had not been able to do anything to defend herself. Her vision was starting to blur and her head was starting to throb. It felt as though it was going to explode. Tony tried to pull the man away from Kate, but as he went to do so, he lost his footing, pushing Kate and the man down the stairs. The man rolled off Kate, a little dazed but unhurt, but Kate did not fare so well. Her head hit the edge of the stair as she fell down, and landed with a dull thud and a crack.

Time seemed to stop for Tony and Gibbs as what happened sunk in. Gibbs rushed to Kate's side while Tony went to restrain the man. Gibbs knelt down over Kate, and opened her mouth. He checked for signs of breathing, and felt his heart stop when he couldn't find any.

"DiNozzo, call an ambulance!" He yelled.

* * *

Abby sat in the comfortable chair next to Kate's hospital bed. She was holding her friends' hand in her own. A single tear slid down her cheek as she recalled what Gibbs had told her when he told her that Kate had been rushed to Bethesda.

"_A man who broke into a Petty Officer's house became violent and attacked her."_ He had told Abby over the phone two hours earlier. _"She was pushed down the stairs, and hit her head when she fell. The doctors think her skull was damaged."_

What made the already bad news worse was the fact that the man managed to escape. Abby had gone straight to the hospital as soon as she heard, and had been there ever since. It scared her to see Kate lying there so pale, yet so peaceful… she looked like she was never going to wake up, and that alone brought Abby to tears.

The door to the ward opened, and Tony came in. "Abby," He said when she looked up at him. "It's late. You should go home and rest."

"I can't, Tony." Abby replied, turning back to look at Kate. A tube was coming out of her mouth and there was a bandage wrapped around the top of her head. "It's breaking my heart to see her like this. I can't leave her alone."

Tony walked over to Abby, then knelt down and hugged her. She cried into his chest. "It'll be alright, Abs." He said, stroking her hair. "Time will tell, I suppose. Kate is strong; she'll pull through this."

"I hope you're right, Tony." Abby said. She stood up and smiled at Tony through her tears. "How about we go home, and come in and see Kate in the morning?"

Tony nodded, and led Abby out of the room. No less than five minutes after the two had left the hospital, two men came in, asking to see Kate Todd.

"Kate's condition is currently unstable." The receptionist replied, frowning at the two men. "She is not conscious."

The first man held up his hand, and the receptionist saw the gold band on his finger. "I am Kate's husband." He said. He then pointed to the man he had come in with. "This is her brother. We would really appreciate it if we could see her."

The receptionist thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Her room is right over there." The men thanked her, and then entered the room the receptionist had pointed out. Once they were inside, the first man closed the door and turned to the second man.

"Reuben," He said to the second man in Hebrew, "I know we were having difficulty finding her, but was it a good idea to attack her? She is your sister."

Reuben shrugged a shoulder. "I could not do anything else. I did not mean to hurt her so much, but she did not appear to recognise me. She tried to shoot me, Ari."

"Then you are lucky you escaped." Ari replied, taking a seat near Kate's bed. He took her hand in his own, and sighed. "They call her Kate?" He asked Reuben in English.

He nodded. "Kate Todd. She found the name in an archive in the state library. Women who served their country, apparently."

Ari chuckled. "Very creative."

Reuben paced the room. "Ari," He said, returning to Hebrew. "We should consider leaving soon. That Gibbs man has been here ever since she was admitted. Who knows when he will pop up again?"

Ari looked up at Reuben. "I wish to stay with my wife." He muttered, looking at her delicate frame. "And you should wish to stay with your sister. It has been six months since you last saw her."

Reuben sat down in the other seat, and looked over at his sister. "Oh, Raya." He said, sighing. "I am truly sorry."

* * *

Gibbs, Tony and Abby went to see Kate before heading into work the following morning. Gibbs and Tony went straight to her room, but Abby spoke to the receptionist.

"Have there been any changes overnight?" Abby asked, afraid to hear the answer.

The receptionist shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Although, her brother and husband came in last night to visit her. I thought that was nice."

Abby started to nod her head, but froze. "I'm sorry?" She asked the receptionist. "Did you say husband? Kate isn't married! And her brother lives in Indiana! There must be some mistake."

The receptionist look at Abby, confused. "B-but two men came in last night. One had a wedding ring. He said he was her husband, and that the other man was her brother."

Abby walked down to Kate's room, where Tony and Gibbs were sitting. Gibbs came up to Abby almost as soon as she entered the room.

"Did she say anything?" Gibbs asked hopefully.

"She did." Abby nodded. "None of which you're going to like…"


	2. Revelations

Double Life  
By that belle

A freak accident puts Kate into a coma. Nothing is what it seems when she finally wakes up... ..Tony & Kate.. ..Ari & Kate..

* * *

Ari watched gloomily from the shadows as the forensic scientist emerged from Raya's - or Kate, as the Americans called her - ward, followed soon after by Gibbs, and the other sleazy man they worked with. Ari knew him to be something of a ladies man, and would have him killed in a heartbeat if he learned that he had touched or made a move on Raya while she had been under the identity of 'Kate'. Reuben was away getting the two a good coffee - unlike the crap the hospital coffee machines came up with. Ari could hear the conversation clearly.

"Gibbs, there's something hinky going on here." The forensic scientist said.

"What are you talking about, Abs?" Gibbs asked, folding his arms.

"I was talking to the receptionist earlier." Abby confessed. "And she mentioned that Kate's husband and brother were in here earlier."

"What?" The ladies man asked. Ari scowled; he knew that look on his face. "Kate's _married_?"

"No, she can't be." Abby said. "She would have told me. We're friends!"

Ari turned, and slipped away unnoticed. He would visit Raya again when the federal agents had left. As he approached the lift, the doors opened. Reuben stood there with two plastic cups in his hand.

"Are we leaving, Ari?" He asked in Hebrew.

"We will return later." Ari replied. "Those federal agents do not know when to give up." He stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button to go down. The two men didn't speak again until they had left the hospital.

* * *

Two long, slow, torturous weeks of visiting before work, during work or on the way home from work was starting to take it's toll on the team. While they agreed that they weren't going to abandon Kate, the three decided that they would visit less often. Her status hadn't changed; she was still unconscious and the doctors said that it was likely she would be that way for a while.

This was a benefit for Ari and Reuben, who were able to visit her more often without hassle. Ari spent more time with her than Reuben, which he couldn't really understand. Raya was Reuben's sister. She wouldn't have abandoned him like this.

He sat with her one night, his hand placed over hers. The curtains in the ward were drawn back slightly, allowing the moonlight to shine through. A million thoughts were flowing through his head, one of which was affecting him the most.

How could Raya possibly forget who she was? This fake identity, 'Kate', had consumed her. It seemed to Ari as though she had gone to bed one night as Raya Zavad-Haswari, Mossad Agent, and woken up the next morning as Caitlin Todd, Federal Agent. It didn't make sense to him, and Ari didn't like it when things didn't make sense to him.

He was torn away from his thoughts when the hand he was holding moved, gripped his own and squeezed weakly. He looked over at her, and saw her dark eyes focusing on him.

"Ari." She said quietly. There was an edge in her voice, and it took Ari a moment to realise what it was.

An accent.

"Raya." He replied, smiling slightly and squeezing her hand back. He said to her, "How are you feeling?" But he said it in Hebrew, to test her. For some reason her memory had gone, and she had become someone else. He wanted to see it her memory was back. If it was, they would be returning to Israel. Ziva missed Raya. They had worked together on several occasions.

She just shrugged at him. When she spoke, she replied in English, which confused him. She hated speaking in English unless it was absolutely necessary. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Ari asked, amused. "I am paying my wife a visit. Am I allowed that privilege?"

Her eyes closed. "Of course." She lay like that for a moment, before opening her eyes again. "Ari, if you don't mind… I'd like to rest now. Come and visit me later, alright?"

Ari nodded, and stood up. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, and then her lips. He smiled at her, and then left the ward. Once the door clicked shut, and she knew it was safe, she reached for the phone, and dialled quickly.

_"Yeah, Gibbs."_

* * *

"Boss, I still don't understand." Tony said as the car they were in sped through a red light. "You said something was up with Kate?"

Gibbs nodded, keeping his focus on the road in front of him. "Yeah. She's awake, and she mentioned something about Ari. She called me earlier."

"Ari?" Tony gaped at him. He remembered all too well Kate's recent ordeal. He had tried to be there for her, but she had closed him out. She had closed everyone out and dealt with it however she did.

"We're going to see what the situation is." Gibbs replied. "As well as Kate's condition. If Ari knows she is there then he may try to see her again."

Tony took all this in quietly. There wasn't a lot he could say. He sympathised with Kate. She just seemed to have more and more crap thrown at her. Just when she was getting back up, she would be knocked down again.

Gibbs looked at Tony, and saw the pain in his eyes. He knew all about Rule 12, and he knew about Tony's feelings for Kate. He didn't know if they were returned, because Kate guarded her feelings very well. He admired that feat in her. They pulled up outside the hospital and within five minutes were at Kate's side.

She was lying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. If her eyes weren't blinking every so often, then Gibbs might have mistaken her for being dead. She looked over at them when they came in, and offered them a weak smile.

"How's your head?" Tony asked, taking one of the seats by her bed. Gibbs took the other seat.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Sore?" She offered, grinning.

Gibbs looked at Tony warningly. He then turned to Kate. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Sure." She tried to sit up, but her head started to hurt, so she gave up and lay there. "When I woke up, he was in here. He was holding my hand. He called me 'Raya', and told me we were married." She bit her lip, and looked away from Gibbs. "He also mentioned a 'mission' that involved…"

"Involved who?" Gibbs asked.

Sighing, she turned and looked at him. "You, Gibbs." That didn't surprise him. He sat there for a while, thinking about it. It was something he usually did, so Kate turned to her other side, where Tony was sitting. She laid her hand out near the edge of the bed, and when Tony took it and squeezed it, she smiled tiredly. "How long have I been out?"

Tony shrugged. "About two weeks?" He offered. "We've been in to see you at least three times a day, everyday."

Once again, Kate rolled her eyes. To find that Ari had been sitting in her hospital room when she woke up from her coma had been terrifying. "That's why Ari was in my room when I woke up?" From behind her, Gibbs snorted. She looked over at him, her eyebrow raised. "Anyway," She said, trying to change the subject. "When can I leave?"

"When you're well enough." Gibbs replied.

Kate's eyes widened. "But what if Ari comes back?" She exclaimed. Tony was looking over at him from Kate's other side with the same shock on his face.

"Then you'll have to pretend when he's here." Gibbs said. Kate looked ready to explode. "I'm sorry, Kate, but it's a risk you're going to have to take. You're unwell."

"Can't you move me to another ward?" Kate whined. "He's slimy. He kissed me when he left, and it felt like someone was trying to force feed me those burgers Tony likes so much."

If Tony hadn't been brassed off because someone had kissed Kate before him, he was definitely brassed off because she insulted his burgers. But he said nothing.

"That would raise suspicion." Gibbs replied. "Listen, Kate…"

She looked away from him. "I don't want to hear it." She said. "Just go. I know that's what you were going to say, so just go." She looked at the bare table next to her bed. "Thanks for the flowers, by the way." She added sarcastically.

Gibbs left immediately, but Tony lurked. He sat back down again after Gibbs was gone, and the two just sat in silence. Tony desperately wanted Kate to look at him, but she wouldn't. Finally, he got up and sighed. "Well, Gibbs is waiting for me. I… probably should go."

"Alright." She agreed reluctantly. Just as he was about to move away from the bed, Kate grabbed his arm, and he looked into her fearful eyes. "Please come back soon." She said. "Tony, I'm scared… I don't want to leave here with Ari. I'm not Raya, I'm not."

"I believe you." Tony said. He leaned forward slowly and kissed her forehead. "I'll come back after work, alright? And I'll bring you some nice flowers."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, Tony." He turned to leave again, but she yanked on his arm and pulled him to her. She kissed him quickly, then pushed him away again. "Go," She laughed, and he grinned at her. "Before Gibbs comes back in."

He left her then, and when the door closed, she became sombre again. Kate then spent the rest of the afternoon mulling over the two very different kisses she had been given that day.

* * *

A/N: Who is she really? :) Thanks for reading.


	3. Lingerie Shopping

Double Life  
By that belle

A freak accident puts Kate into a coma. Nothing is what it seems when she finally wakes up... ..Tony & Kate.. ..Ari & Kate..

* * *

The next two days passed slowly. Kate had had no visitors since Tony and Gibbs, but Abby and Tony had called her frequently. Gibbs called her once, but she hadn't heard from him since she explained to him that her gut was trying to warn her about something.

In the early afternoon, Kate was sitting up in bed reading a trashy romance novel. She found it when she looked through the drawers of the table next to her bed, and although it was corny and predictable, she found herself enjoying it. She was pulled out of her feeling of comfort and security when the doors to her ward opened and Ari came in, followed by Reuben. Kate noted that her 'brother' seemed put off and slightly cautious.

"Raya," Ari greeted her, bending over and kissing her on the cheek. "Ready to leave?"

"And go where?" She asked him, keeping the fear out of her voice.

"Back to Israel, of course." Ari said, smiling. "Your mission here did not go well, and we are returning home so you can recover there."

Kate's stomach dropped. She wanted to scream and protest, but before she let her guard down, she thought of an idea. "Why don't you let me have another shot at completing the mission?" She asked him. "The Americans have been visiting often, which means my cover has not been blown."

"Are you sure, Raya?" Reuben asked irritably. "Maybe they are playing a farce; they will kill or imprison you as soon as you step foot inside that building!"

"It's a chance I am willing to take." Kate replied stubbornly. She crossed her arms and looked away. "I refuse to return until my mission is complete. I would much rather cut off my own leg." Kate was surprised at herself as the words continued to flow out of her mouth. Ari and Reuben were surprised too at her 'firmness', and Ari slowly nodded his head.

"Consider it done." He said. "But you are coming back to the hotel with us tonight. Go to work starting next week."

Kate wanted to throw up at the aspect of spending the entire weekend in a hotel room with Ari, but she couldn't think of anything that would make him change his mind. Gibbs' warning about making them believe she was this Raya person was still looming over her head. Eventually, she nodded. "I don't have any things."

"That is easily remedied." Ari smiled. "We will stop by your favourite clothing store on the way to the hotel."

Kate hadn't noticed Reuben leave the room while she was talking to Ari, but she noticed it when he returned with a nurse. "The nurse says Kate is ready to be released." He said.

Kate was about to say "What?", but she remembered that she had been brought here under her own name. The nurse signed the discharge forms, and left, wishing her well.

Ari turned to her, smiling. "I will go and call a cab."

* * *

As soon as Gibbs dismissed the team for a break, Tony left for the hospital. It took him long enough to get there, he knew he was going to be late back to the squad room but he didn't care. He wanted to see Kate, and that was his main priority.

He walked up to the receptionist and flashed her a smile. "Hi, I'm here to see Kate Todd." He said.

The nurse ran through the files, and looked at him, a confused smile on her face. "Didn't you know…?" She asked him curiously. "Kate Todd was discharged about thirty minutes ago." She said, shrugging a shoulder. "She left with her husband and brother."

Tony swore under his breath, thanked the receptionist, and left the hospital. He delayed calling Gibbs until he was back on the road.

_"DiNozzo, you had better have a good explanation for why you aren't here."_ Gibbs answered.

"Nice to hear from you too, boss." Tony said sarcastically. "And as a matter of fact, I do. Kate's been discharged." He said. "The hospital receptionist told me she left just over thirty minutes ago… with her husband and her brother."

Gibbs swore. _"We're going to have to wait until she contacts us, DiNozzo. Luckily you went out there or we wouldn't have found out."_

"So, I'm not in trouble for being late, boss?" Tony asked hopefully.

_"Oh no,"_ Gibbs said, and Tony swore he could hear Gibbs' grin through the phone. _"You're still in trouble, DiNozzo."_

Tony grimaced as the line went dead. But he wasn't as worried about his pending punishment as he was about Kate's current condition.

* * *

"Lingerie?" Kate asked in disbelief. "You brought me to a _lingerie_ shop?"

"You like to shop here, remember Raya?" Ari said, a smirk on his face. "And I have to admit, I quite like your taste."

She shrugged a shoulder, and looked at the shop. The front windows were displaying two mannequins wearing very suggestive clothing. "This looks like a sex shop."

Ari laughed. "It _is_. You just like the lingerie from here. Don't tell me you can't remember?"

She nodded her head. "Vaguely." She said. She then turned to him. "Remember, Ari, that I have just come out of a coma. Don't expect me to remember absolutely everything."

Kate wandered into the shop before Ari had a chance to answer. As she opened the door to go in, she heard Ari tell Reuben to meet the two there in half an hour. Reuben replied, with obvious relief in his voice, that it was not a problem. Kate went inside the shop, and looked around.

The shop, Kate observed dryly, had mood lighting. The shop assistants were dressed casually, and there weren't very many customers. Kate counted about three other people. The door opened behind her and Ari came in.

"See anything you like?" He asked her.

If Kate wasn't pretending to be Ari's wife, then she would have slapped him. A classic DiNozzo comment. She sighed as she thought about Tony. On a normal day, Kate didn't mind shopping for sexy lingerie. But the stuff in the store was X-rated. There were things that would even make Tony blush. She shook her head in reply at Ari and moved further into the store. A matching set caught her eye on a rack in the front corner. She approached it, and couldn't help but smile. It was black lace, with a small amount of pink ribbon around the waistband and between the breasts.

Smiling wickedly, she found her size, and went to find something else to try on. Usually, Kate hated spending her wages on lingerie, but since Ari was buying it, she might as well find a few things she liked. She saw a black negligee and robe set, and she decided she would try on the black one, as well as the red one. Finally, in the back corner, she stopped by a single negligee that caught her eye. A mannequin was displaying what it would look like on. It was black, and made of silk. It had thin straps, and ran down to her mid-thighs. Along with that were two see-through gloves that went all the way up to her upper arm, and thigh-high black stockings. She decided she would try it on, too.

As she headed towards the changing room, she turned her head to look at Ari. He was watching her, unable to believe some of the things she had picked out. Even though it scared her to see the way he was looking at her, she had to remember that he thought she was Raya, and they had obviously been apart for some months. So she braved a smile, and went into the changing room.

These changing rooms had long, thick curtains, rather than lockable doors, which bothered Kate, but she went to change anyway. She tried on the set first. She was shocked and surprised at how it looked on her.

Ari came into the changing room just after she changed into the negligee and robe set. She almost screamed when she looked in the mirror and saw him standing there behind her.

"W-what are you doing in here?" She asked in disbelief. "You scared the living daylights out of me!"

"I wanted to see how you looked in these." He said, smirking. He stepped closer to her, and she gulped nervously. She hoped he didn't try anything in the changing room. "You surpassed yourself, Raya… you look good enough to eat."

Kate turned around quickly, so she was facing him. "Well…" She said, smiling slightly. "We can save that until later, alright? Now, go. I need to change."

He left, chuckling quietly. When he was gone, Kate let out a long sigh. Not wanting to risk something like that again, she changed quickly. She didn't want to try on the other thing now. It could wait until later.

* * *

Tony and Gibbs were sitting in a café in the street later that day. After Tony came back from the hospital, he had been 'punished' by Gibbs - a slap on the forehead - then the two had set off in trying to find out details about Ari, his wife Raya, and her brother.

At the current moment, the two were sitting in the busy café, sipping on their drinks quietly. Tony was looking out the window at the other shops. There were quite a few women's clothing shops, as well as an adult shop and a restaurant. The other shops there didn't really catch his attention, and he was about to turn away, when three people leaving one of the women's clothing shops caught his eye.

There was one woman, with dark hair, accompanied by two men. One of the men had an arm around the woman's waist, and the other man was talking on a cell phone. They walked down the street to the restaurant, and went inside.

"Boss, do you feel like lunch?" Tony asked, smirking. "My shout."

Gibbs looked up from the paper, and shot him a wary look. "What do you call this?" He asked, indicating to the two coffees.

Tony looked at him. "I call it… coffee." He said. He was having trouble hiding his excitement, so he just decided he'd tell Gibbs. "Listen, I think I saw Kate. She went into that restaurant over there."

Gibbs abandoned his coffee, and stood up. "That restaurant does takeaway, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, reaching for his gun. "I'll watch from outside, you can… get us something. Watch out for Kate, and don't reveal yourself."

The two left the café, and crossed the street. Tony went inside, leaving Gibbs outside, looking through the window every so often.

"Good afternoon, sir." The waiter at the front desk said to Tony. "Is it a table for one? Or would you like to order from out take out menu?"

"Take out, thanks." Tony said. Nodding, the waiter gave him a menu. Tony ordered some noodles for himself, and some soup for Gibbs.

"That comes to 35.10, sir." The man said.

Tony pulled out his wallet, and handed the man some money. As the man went to give him some change, Tony looked over into the bar. The three people he had seen earlier were sitting at a table near the back, and he could clearly see that it was Ari, Kate, and the other man. He smirked to himself, and turned back to the waiter. He handed the waiter a 20 bill, and said, "Mind if I wait in the bar?"

"Not at all, sir." The waiter said, smiling.

"Great, thanks." Tony said. "You can keep the change," He said, indicating to the change that was still in his hand.

"Thank you, sir!" The boy said, smiling.

Tony grinned to himself and headed into the bar. A woman was tending the bar, so he went over and flashed her a smile. "I'll have a glass of your best red, thanks." Tony said, flashing her a smile. The girl giggled and went to get it for him. While she was away, Tony risked turning around to look at Kate. He was thankful that the two men were facing away from him, otherwise they would have seen him immediately.

Kate saw him immediately. She didn't show it, otherwise both of their covers would be blown, but she smiled at him. He mouthed 'bathroom' to her, then turned away. The waitress was back with his wine, so he paid for it, giving her a huge tip just like he had with the waiter. He sipped on his wine, then turned his head. Kate had excused herself from the table and was heading off to the restrooms. Gulping down the rest of the wine, he waited a moment before following her.


	4. On the Run

Double Life  
By that belle

A freak accident puts Kate into a coma. Nothing is what it seems when she finally wakes up... ..Tony & Kate.. ..Ari & Kate..

A/N: This chapter kinda, sorta deals with adult situations. Kinda. Sorta. Please enjoy!

* * *

When Kate went into the ladies' room, there was another woman standing at the mirror, so while she waited for her to leave, she pretended to apply her makeup. As soon as the woman left, Kate put her things back in her bag, and waited. The door opened again, and Kate knew it was Tony when she heard the lock click.

"Kate?" He whispered loudly, as he walked in. He saw her standing by the mirror, and smiled.

"Hey, Tony." Kate said, smiling. "How are you?"

Tony enveloped her in a hug. "I should be asking you that." He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She looked up at him, and smiled. "Every moment with these two is a living hell." She said, frowning. "I can't just leave; they will become suspicious."

Tony's hands balled into fists. "Damn that Gibbs." He swore. Kate grinned, despite herself. "If only he hadn't suggested that you go undercover as this woman."

Kate didn't reply. She didn't know what to say. .Of course, she wished the same thing, but she was learning valuable information about Ari and Reuben. She would be able to pass on the information she learned so that Gibbs could build a profile on the two, and eventually round them up - or kill them. She just stayed in Tony's embrace for a while.

But, she knew it couldn't stay like that. She pulled away from him, and smiled sadly. "I have to go." She said. "They'll come looking otherwise."

He nodded. If Kate was in the bathroom too long, then Ari would become suspicious. "I'll tell Gibbs you want double overtime while you're stuck with Ari."

"But I don't-"

"He doesn't know that, does he?" Tony grinned, winking at her.

Kate laughed, and gave Tony a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, I hope." She said, trying to keep the worry out of her voice. "After all this is over, you can take me out to dinner."

Tony looked at her, and grinned. She smiled once, before unlocking the bathroom door and leaving. Kate made her way back to the table, where Ari was sitting. Reuben was outside, smoking a cigar. Kate watched him through the window for a moment after she sat down.

"You were gone a while." Ari commented.

Kate looked at him, her eyebrow raised. "I was touching up my makeup." It wasn't exactly a lie, she decided.

Ari frowned. "You do not like wearing makeup, Raya." He looked at her suspiciously.

Kate's insides froze. She looked at him calmly, and said, "While I was working for Gibbs as Agent Todd, I had to change everything about myself. 'Kate' likes wearing _some_ makeup."

Ari seemed satisfied at that answer, and sat back in his seat. Before anything else was said between the two, Reuben came inside from the terrace, scowling. "The Americans have been watching the restaurant." He said.

Ari chuckled. "Time to leave, it seems." He said, looking at Kate. "We will go through the kitchen door."

Kate didn't say anything. Her insides were churning, and she feared that her cover would be blown at any second, and Ari would blow her head off. As they got out of their seats, and headed towards the kitchen, Reuben put his hands on her shoulders, and she tensed. "Get your hands off me." She hissed. "I am not a sheep, I do not need to be shepherded."

He scowled at her in reply, and as they passed the counter, Kate missed Tony, who was picking up his order. He almost missed them, but saw Kate as the three disappeared into the kitchen. He swore and ran out of the restaurant to inform Gibbs.

* * *

"Our cover has been blown." Gibbs told Tony calmly as the senior field agent ran out of the restaurant, two paper bags in his hands. "The brother saw me when he was out on the terrace."

"Yeah, I noticed." Tony said, handing Gibbs his paper bag. "Ari and that other guy basically dragged her out the back. They didn't notice me, but I saw her. Boss, what will happen to Kate? Do you think they know she isn't this other woman?"

Gibbs shook his head. "They see us as a threat."

Tony was frustrated that Kate had been so close to them, but they weren't able to take her. If only Ari had not been such a high risk terrorist, then they would have been able to just take her out of the restaurant and then run for the hills.

But life was not that easy.

* * *

After leaving the restaurant, Ari had arranged for them to leave the main part of the city. They didn't go by taxi, or by car. For a long time the journey was on foot, and Kate's head started hurting after the first hour. Reuben finally decided to call a taxi after Kate collapsed.

When she woke up, she was lying on a bed. She assumed that they had reached a motel. The room she was in consisted of a queen sized bed, a set of drawers and a chair. The curtains were pulled, but they were not made of very thick material, and the sun still shone through quite easily.

Ari was sitting on the seat, watching her. She blinked a couple of times, and he quietly asked her, "Are you alright, Raya?"

Kate remembered what had happened, and scowled. "No thanks to either of you." She snapped. "Was it too much to ask for you to call a taxi?" She turned onto her other side. "It seems only yesterday that I was still in hospital." She said pointedly.

"It was only this morning." He said.

"That's my point!" She exclaimed. "Did it ever occur to you that I may not be ready to walk in this heat for hours on end?"

"I said I was sorry."

"No, you didn't!" Ari didn't reply. Kate closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, Ari was sitting on the bed next to where she lay. She tried to look up at him, but the pain in her head returned, and she winced. "You should have left me in the hospital." Kate muttered. She felt him place a hand over her forehead.

"I will take care of you." Ari replied. He leaned over and helped her lie on her back. His hands left her for a moment, and she heard the rustling of a bag. "My, my…" She heard Ari say, but didn't open her eyes. "Your taste in lingerie has improved, Raya."

Kate said nothing. The pain in her head was preventing her from doing much else. She didn't even acknowledge his presence when he started undressing her slowly. He spoke to her, but she didn't hear anything he said. She didn't even protest as he changed her into one of the negligees she had purchased only hours earlier.

She also missed the lusty look in his eyes as he told her how much he had missed her, and how her body seemed much more beautiful because of the time they spent apart.

* * *

Tony and Gibbs returned to the squad room. Nothing had been said between them since the conversation outside the restaurant. They sat at their respective desks and ate their lunch - which had long since gone cold - in silence.

Tony was angry at Gibbs, first of all for letting Ari take Kate and giving the terrorist the idea that she was his wife, some woman named Raya, and secondly for letting Kate get away again, especially since she had been close enough for Tony to talk to her, to hold her. If only he had tried to convince her to come back with them, and to screw Ari and this crazy undercover mission.

Over at Gibbs' desk, he was angry at himself for letting Kate be taken away. When he had suggested to Kate that she went along with the ruse, he never assumed that it would put her in as much danger as she was in now. They had no idea where Ari had taken Kate, and they didn't know if her cover was safe or not.

Gibbs looked over at Tony. He saw the conflict the younger man was battling, and his concern for Kate was showing through. It dawned on him then just how much Tony cared for Kate and, if possible, the realisation made him feel worse about the situation.

* * *

When Kate woke up again, it was the following morning. It was still quite early; she didn't know how early it was but the sun hadn't come up yet. She sat up and the scratchy sheets fell down from around her. Kate looked down, and stifled a scream.

She was naked.

She bit her lip, and looked over to the other side of the bed. Ari was lying on his stomach, facing away from her. He was also naked. Kate wanted to throw up. They couldn't have possibly…?

Kate slid out of bed slowly, and her foot touched something cold. When she looked over the edge of the bed to see what it was, she couldn't contain her scream the second time.

It was a used condom.

Behind her, Ari stirred and woke quickly. His hand darted out to the bedside table, where he picked up his gun and aimed it at her. He looked at her, confused, and lowered his gun.

At the same time, the bedroom door burst open and Reuben came in, also with his gun. His face turned red when he saw her standing beside the bed naked, and he started shouting in Hebrew at her.

Kate looked around the room for her clothes, but she saw a cell phone. She grabbed it from the bedside table and dashed into the bathroom. She shut the door and locked it before either Ari or Reuben had a chance to do anything.

Kate didn't know the home phone numbers of either Tony or Gibbs, and since they wouldn't be in work for a couple of hours yet, she decided to call the directory.

"_Which city?"_ The operator asked her when he answered.

"Washington." Kate replied. "A number for Anthony DiNozzo, please?"

"_Certainly, please wait."_ The operator told her. A few moments later, the man relayed the number to Kate. She thanked him and hung up.

She dialled his number, and waited. Tony answered quicker than she expected. _"Hello?"_

"Tony?" She whispered.

"_Kate?"_ Tony exclaimed, surprised. _"Where are you? Are you alright?"_

"I don't know," She replied, her voice low. "I'm in a motel, I think, outside of the main part of the city. Tony, I need you to come and get me. I can't do this anymore."

"_Alright. I'll go into work now and get your GPS."_ He said. _"Kate, are you alright?"_

"No," She replied. "I'm not." She paused for a moment before saying, "Please bring me some clothes, Tony. I woke up about five minutes ago and mine were gone." She hung up the phone, and started to cry.


	5. Kate's Escape, Tony's Minimal Mistake

Double Life  
By that belle

A freak accident puts Kate into a coma. Nothing is what it seems when she finally wakes up... ..Tony & Kate.. ..Ari & Kate..

* * *

The window.

Kate didn't know how she missed it earlier. In her panic, she had locked herself in the bathroom, but she hadn't bothered to check her surroundings. After she had taken a moment to collect herself, she looked around the small bathroom. On the hanger on the back of the door was an old bath robe. She tried to ignore the musty smell as she put it on. Also, above the old tub was a small window. It was big enough for her to climb out of, though, if she got her footing right.

Kate approached the tub, and climbed into it. She pushed open the window, and the cool morning air blew in. Before she even thought about attempting her escape, Kate knew that she had to turn on a tap or something – anything that would create a noise, so that her escape wouldn't be noticed.

There was a knock on the door. "Raya?" Reuben called through the door. "Come out here!"

Kate stepped lightly out of the tub, and scowled at the door. She went over to the hand basin, and turned on the cold tap as far as it would go. "I am pouring myself a bath." She replied. "Come back in... say, an hour or so?"

She heard Reuben curse, and then there was silence. Sighing, she turned back to the tub. It would be tricky, but she was sure she could do it.

* * *

Tony's thoughts were in overdrive as he followed the coordinates of the GPS that the cell phone Kate had called him from. Kate's voice had sounded so... _broken_ when she had called, asking him to come and get her.

But, less than an hour after the phone call, he pulled up outside a shabby-looking motel. He looked at the place in disgust. He wondered, as he turned off the engine, why the place wasn't closed. It looked like it was about to fall down.

Time passed slowly. There was no sign of Kate. Tony considered calling the cell phone again – he had kept the number – but he wasn't sure what had gone down in the motel room. Just as he was about to consider calling Gibbs, he noticed something odd. A woman was struggling her way out of a bathroom window.

It was Kate.

Tony opened the door, and shut it quietly after him. He ran across the grass to where she was. And she was almost free of the window, when she slipped. With a muffled yelp, her leg caught, and then she fell. Tony couldn't quite catch her before she hit the ground. But he did hear her leg break. Before she had the chance to start screaming or yelling, Tony picked her up effortlessly, and had her back in his car before she realised what was going on.

"Tony?" Kate asked quietly, as her eyes opened. Her face was twisted in pain from the broken leg, and the fall. She turned to him, and looked at him for a whole minute, before smiling. "You came for me."

"I told you I would." Tony replied, grimacing. She looked in worse condition than when she was released from the hospital only the day before. "But not soon enough, apparently. I'll kill him for what he did to you, Kate."

"Tony..."

He shook his head firmly. "I'm serious. Have you even had a look at yourself, Kate?" He asked her. "You look like you've been to hell and back. You weren't ready to be discharged, but you were, and then following that, Gibbs just goes and... well, _allows_ this to happen to you?"

He continued his rant, and Kate did what she did best when he got aggravated; closed her eyes and tuned him out. There would be time to reason later. Tony took her straight to A&E, and explained what had happened. As a nurse took Kate away in a wheelchair, Tony filled in the appropriate forms. He was about to follow her, when a thought struck him. He turned back to the receptionist and took his wallet out of his pocket.

"Now, this is extremely important." He said to her. "You see the people in this photo?" The photo had been taken before Kate joined NCIS – Ducky, Gibbs, Abby and Tony were all sitting around a table. They had been less stressful times. "These are the only people who are allowed to visit Special Agent Todd while she is here, do you understand?" The woman nodded in understanding. "Good. Because the receptionist who was here before released her into the care of two terrorists. And also before she was fit to be released."

The receptionist gulped. "I'll see to it that everyone is informed." She promised.

"Good." Tony smiled. "Because I'd hate to see NCIS suing your hospital or something..."

She nodded again, and Tony smiled at her, before going in the direction Kate had been taken. The receptionist had been a pretty young woman, and Tony might have considered pursuing her if it hadn't been for his feelings for Kate.

He came into Kate's new ward, to find that she was being prepared to be taken somewhere else. She looked up when he came in, and upon seeing the confused expression on his face, said, "I'm being taken to X-ray."

"Oh." There was silence between the two for a moment, before Tony realised something. "I'll have to call Gibbs." He said. "Then I'll join you in X-ray... that is, if you want me there?"

Kate nodded. "That would be nice." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Tony. For everything. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be in that awful motel room... or maybe even dead."

"Anything for you, Kate..." He said quietly. Tony just watched as the nurse wheeled Kate out again, and once she was gone, he went out into the hall. He called Gibbs from the payphone.

"_Yeah, Gibbs."_

"Boss, it's Tony."

"_DiNozzo, you better have a damn good reason as to why you aren't in the office."_

"Actually, I do..."

* * *

Abby was the first one to get to the hospital. She rushed out of the elevator and up to the receptionist. "Which way to Kate Todd's room?" She asked quickly.

The receptionist looked at her for a moment, and then down at something, and then up at her again. "Down the hall and to your left. It's the second room down the next corridor."

"Thanks." She said, slightly fazed by the reception. When she got to the right room, both Tony and Kate were there. Kate was sitting up in the bed with a cast on her left leg. She looked tired and frailer than when Abby last saw her, and it scared her. "Hey, Kate." She said, putting on a brave face for her friend. "How are you holding up?"

"Not too bad." Kate replied, leaning back a little. "These damn hospital beds are uncomfortable, though."

Abby smirked. She then looked over at Tony, who was looking out the window. "Tony, could I talk to you for a second?"

"I'm listening." He didn't turn away from the window.

Abby shot a look at Kate, who nodded. "Tony..." She said, tugging on his arm gently. "I think Abby wants to talk to you in private."

"Oh!" Tony went over to Abby immediately following that, and the two left the room. Tony shut the door after him, and turned to Abby. "What's going on, Abbs?"

"The strangest thing happened when I asked for Kate's room number." She said. "I don't suppose you know anything about that, do you?"

"Aaah, that's kinda my fault." Tony admitted. "I gave the receptionist a photo of all of us and told her that only we were allowed to visit Kate..." He scratched his head. "I also told her that if anyone other than us was allowed to see her, that, uh, NCIS would sue..."

"That was a mistake."

Gibbs walked up to the two. Tony looked at him, his eyes narrowed. "Maybe it was," Tony said, his voice becoming angry. "But it's a minimal mistake compared to what you put Kate through." Abby's mouth fell open, and Tony walked off, not letting anyone put another word in.


End file.
